Participating in the dedication of the Jaffna Cultural Centre, constructed with the Indian government's grant, to the people of Sri Lanka today, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan called it a "historic day" in the ties between the two nations. Speaking to ANI, he said the centre will be an "iconic" place reflecting the Indian and Lankan culture.
"Today is a very historic day in the relations between Sri Lanka and India. This Jaffna Cultural centre today has been dedicated to the people of Jaffna. This centre is a unique and iconic building," Mr Murugan told ANI.
"The foundation stone was laid by our honourable Prime Minister in March 2015. Today, we have dedicated this to the people of Sri Lanka. It will be an iconic place to reflect Indian and Sri Lankan culture. We are happy to dedicate this to the people of Sri Lanka", he added.
Hailing India's neighbourhood policy, the Indian Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay said that the cultural centre represented the pinnacle of the relationship between India and Sri Lanka.
"Today's event to dedicate the Jaffna Cultural centre to the people of Jaffna represents the pinnacle of the relationship between the people of India and Sri Lanka. This iconic structure has been built with the government of India's assistance. We are very grateful to the honourable Minister who has undertaken a visit, especially for this event", he said.
"We are also very honoured that he has found time to let us familiarise him with the work which has been carried out for Rehabilitation and development in the Northern Province. It is India's policy to put neighbourhood first. We are very happy that as the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka and as the Consulate General of India in Jaffna, we are implementing that policy and supporting the people of the northern province, our Tamil brothers and sisters and also strengthening ties between India and Sri Lanka," the envoy added.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was present on the occasion, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called the Jaffna Cultural Centre a "major project" between the two nations.
Jaffna Cultural Centre, located next to the iconic Jaffna Public Library is the tallest building in Jaffna town. The centre is conceived as a reconciliation project and is primarily aimed at expanding cultural infrastructure for the people of Northern Province and helping them to reconnect with their cultural roots as well as to the rest of the country and to rejuvenate the ancient cultural heritage of Jaffna.
The centre is envisaged as a public space to "promote, preserve and foster the cultural heritage of Jaffna", and serve as "a hub of cultural activities" in Sri Lanka. Jaffna which is an erstwhile cultural capital of national and regional importance suffered many losses through the period of a protracted civil war. The centre is envisaged as a public space to "promote, preserve and foster the cultural heritage of Jaffna", and serve as "a hub of cultural activities" in Sri Lanka.
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